Asiacell to extend mobile network in 2011 (Iraq)
Iraqi mobile operator Asiacell Communications, a group including Asiacell Iraq (30%), Qatar Telecom (Qtel, 30%) and investment group Merchant Bridge (40%), has signed a network expansion agreements with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Ericsson, as it is planning to expand its service footprint in the country.
According to the cellco’s Chief Technical and IT officer, Patson Anius, the supply contracts will allow the operator to introduce advanced services tailored to the domestic market. Next year, they will be further expanding their network coverage to include small villages and residential communities in remote areas. They look forward to breaking their own GSM deployment record in Iraq next year.
Asiacell is one of the three cellcos licensed to provide national mobile services, having been awarded its concession in August 2007 at a cost of US$1.25 billion.
In 2009 it deployed 1,490 base transceiver stations (BTSs) on its network, thanks to the build-out of 950 new communication towers, and improved the service capabilities of 450 other cell sites. At the end of September 2010 Asiacell had 7.917 million mobile subscribers, placing it second in the market with a share of 34.8%. It competes with Zain Iraq, Korek Telecom and SanaTel.
PTA suspends Braintel license over VoIP platform (Pakistan)
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has announced the postponement of Braintel’s license with immediate effect. This move is taken as the regulator was claiming that the telco had been developing a VoIP platform, providing network access and switching services to customers beyond Lahore.
According to reports, the PTA has directed long-distance, WiLL and mobile network operators to suspend all telecoms facilities with Braintel until it issues further directions. The operator’s license allows only for the provision of telecoms services in the Lahore region, and the PTA has claimed that through a Session Initiation Protocol-based (SIP-based) location in the UK Braintel was allowing termination and origination of calls to its customers beyond Lahore via internet access.
Before the suspension of the licence, PTA has given out Braintel a show cause notice in May 2010, which the operator responded to, claiming that it had done no wrong. The telco subsequently lodged a writ petition with the Lahore High Court against the show cause notice, but this was rejected.
Thai Operators to Launch MNP in December
Thailand’s mobile network operators have confirmed that they will launch the delayed mobile number portability (MNP) service before the end of the year, but only in the capital city, Bangkok.
According to Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn, a commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the service will be available only in some service centres of the telecom operators. Therefore, during the initial phase, those in the provinces who want to keep their mobile-phone numbers when they switch networks will have to travel to Bangkok to ask for the service.
He added that the telecom operators would gradually expand the MNP service nationwide soon. They will announce the full details of the service next week.
The country’s five operators are currently appealing against fines of US$5,500 per day for missing the already delayed August deadline.
Zain Malawi gets 3G Licence.
MACRA has awarded a 3G licence to Zain Malawi, which is expected to enhance high-speed wireless internet access.
Zain marketing director, Enwell Kadango confirmed that discussions that started between the company and MACRA since 2006 has finally borne fruit as its licence conditions have now been changed.
3G is the telecommunication hardware standard and general technology for the mobile networking superseding 2.5G system which will now allow speed in data processing,†said Kadango who added that Malawi is taking after most developing countries that are using this technology.
Currently Zain Malawi is about to finish its equipment installation across the country which will be compatible with the new system which offers fast downloading speeds of between 2-8mbps.
Malawi’s Zain CEO Fayaz King said 3G would also allow users to watch television besides connecting to the internet and make video calls.
TNM Limited, Zain’s competitor in the market got the licence sometime back but it is only now that the company has been testing it.
Nextel Chile and VTR win 3G spectrum
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: After winning 60MHz of the 3G spectrum in a closed tender, Nextel Chile has announced that it will invest USD300 million in the mobile network. VTR, a local cableco, an arm of Liberty Global and Nextel both submitted bids for three bands of 30MHz of 3G wireless spectrum. Nextel, offering USD14.6 million for the two bands was the highest bidder, while VTR will pay USD3 million for a single 30MHz band. The contracts are yet to be signed. Both the companies have twelve months to build their 3G networks and start offering services nationally.
Nextel and VTR will compete with Chile’s three main mobile telephone companies Entel PCS, Telefonica (Movistar) and America Movil (Claro), that already have the 3G spectrum.
Local vendors lose out again as eMobile signs Huawei
The rollout of Japan’s newest W-CDMA nationwide mobile network by eMobile, the new mobile subsidiary of leading DSL wholesaler eAccess Ltd, is gathering pace and causing not a few surprises and disappointments among vendors.
eMobile announced late in July that it had selected Huawei Technologies from 15 global vendors as a second prime network vendor to work alongside Ericsson, which in March was awarded the contract for the nationwide core network and the 1.7-GHz radio network in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Huawei will start by deploying networks in Sapporo and Sendai. This is the first contract for Huawei or any Chinese network vendor in Japan, and it means that Japanese vendors have completely lost out on this pioneering 3.5G network business worth $3 billion to $4 billion. “The choice of Huawei was an extraordinary shock to Japanese vendors,” eMobile and eAccess CEO Dr Sachio Semmoto told Wireless Asia.
Japanese vendors are not the only shocked and disappointed vendors. Lucent Technologies was passed over yet again. One year ago Lucent appeared to be in pole position with eAccess after working on apparently successful trials combining HSDPA and Lucent’s IMS. Lucent was presented as eAccess’ partner in several high profile PR social and events.
Among the reasons cited for the selection of Huawei by eAccess are its strong product development skills, quality management systems in IP technology and small base stations.
eAccess has done an impressive job of fundraising for the new venture. eMobile now has equity and debt financing totaling 363 billion yen ($3.16 billion). The companies are planning to offer seamless IP-based fixed and mobile services with data services starting in March 2007 and voice services following in Spring 2008.
Putting up a state-of-the-art nationwide mobile network, of course, is costly and eAccess will struggle to reach the 85% coverage required by the government within five years under its present business-financing plan, even though the network will be IP-based.
NTT DoCoMo spent $20 billion on its W-CDMA network and Vodafone Japan around $10 billion on its latest network. From this perspective, it is easy to understand the decision to partner with Huawei, which has risen quickly by combining advanced technology with low prices.
eMobile’s ambitious strategy contrasts sharply with IP Mobile, Japan’s other mobile start-up, which announced that it has secured just over 4 billion yen to build its network. Non-Japanese vendors have also secured a significant part of the contracts so far awarded by IP Mobile.
Source- http://www.telecomasia.net.
Technorati : Asia, Cell Phones, Ericsson, HSDPA, Huawei, Japan, Vodafone, eAccess
Ice Rocket : Asia, Cell Phones, Ericsson, HSDPA, Huawei, Japan, Vodafone, eAccess
